Cleaning Pockets
by IamtheProxy
Summary: A thief. The thief actually. The one people knew as the Black Breeze. She was more of a tempest really, not so much a breeze, given the fact that if she breaks into your house she practically ransacks everything… in a rather neat and orderly manner. BrynjolfxOC
1. INTRO

Hello readers! This is a BrynjolfxOC story. Hope you enjoy, and please if you would, review and tell me if I should continue this or stop where I am. This is only the intro, and the chapters will be much longer. Hope you enjoy!

XXXX

"Man oh man… look at all of this _gold!" _The woman exclaimed. "I've hit the fucking jackpot." She laughed and grinned greedily as she stuffed her sack full of golden septims.

Said woman's name was Kari. Kari Mistral. She was a typical gold digger. Not in the sense of finding a wealthy old man who would die soon and leave his fortune in her name, but rather the type that likes to find it dangerously. You know… the way a thief would.

Yup. A thief. _The _thief actually. The one people knew as the Black Breeze. She was more of a tempest really, not so much a breeze, given the fact that if she breaks into your house she practically ransacks everything… in a rather neat and orderly manner. She doesn't leave any clues to if she had been in your room, save for the fact that all of the nice, pretty, expensive items are gone and probably already sold into the black market.

She guessed she was called that because it sounded better than something like the black squall, or the black airstream. She rather liked it herself… thought it fit her nicely. All things considered. She even found it ironic how the people gave her a little nickname wind related, since her first name meant 'gust of wind' and her last meant 'violent winds.'

She had never known her parents and had never really thought about them, but sometimes she wondered what made them give her two names that were related to the movement of air. She would never know, but it didn't really matter.

No one knew what she looked like due to the black face mask wrapped around her mouth and nose, leaving only her eyes visible to the world… though even they were shrouded in darkness. She wore all black… black leather cuirass with ebony plating here and there, and some black leather boots with fur on the inside to keep her feet warm and her steps soft. Along with everything else, there was the black leather, ebony plated pants that were very comfortable and easy to maneuver in. Topping it all off was the face mask mentioned earlier, and a black, cloth hood that was lined with a dark grey fur from some unknown animal. All in all, a very stealthy, quiet get-up that allowed easy movement, and a decent amount of protection.

She was about through with the stuffing of her bag when she giggled again, only to be cut off by the sound of a door opening below her. She sighed in exasperation.

"Damn. This was supposed to be an easy mark." Without much thought, the breeze flew to the darkest corner of the room, and crouched down low. Eyes were darting to every crack and crevice in the room, looking for the easiest escape route. There wasn't a single window in this room however, and her brain quickly came to the conclusion that the only way out would be the downstairs door.

She could hear the footsteps of her victim coming up the wooden stairs, and casually getting closer to the very room she was in. Body tense, and muscles ready, the door opened to reveal a young imperial man who barely looked to be out of his teens.

He was walking to the bed, looking worn down and tired. He had left the door open much to Kari's glee, since when the man had opened it, it had made the most awful creaking sound. Seeing as how her targets back was now facing her, she quickly sprinted out of the door without a sound… or so she had hoped. The second her foot met the first step of the old, wooden, cracked stairs… well it wasn't the most appealing noise, and it most certainly wasn't quiet. Ignoring the sound of the gasp coming from the young man, she kept sprinting.

"Shit…. Shit shit shit shit." She was down the stairs and around the corner by the time she heard the man step on the annoyingly noisy step she had screwed herself on. Dancing and skipping her way around the many tables, chairs, and other normal house-hold furniture that stood in her way of freedom, she quickly made her way to and out of the door. Still running, she glanced back only once to see the man looking out after her, but she knew he wasn't able to see her dark form. Even with the light of the moon glaring on her. She was simply too sneaky, and this thought made her ego puff up.

She felt a gust of wind through her armor, and smiled. Gods be damned, she loved what she did.


	2. Chapter 1

Next chapter. Enjoy!

Thanks to my Beta, ClayPuppet!

XXXX

"Ah what a wonderful day it is! It's nice and warm outside and there is not a cloud to be seen in the vast, blue sky through which the gods created!" Kari stated loudly and to herself while walking through the forests right outside the walls of the imperial city.

"It's too bad someone's day is about to get ruined." She smiled and started humming a small tune to herself. She could see the entrance to the main part of the city. Over the top of the walls the white-gold tower was ever present, standing tall and proud. She had always wanted to climb that tower, and look out over everyone and everything. Though it would never happen.

Once inside she walked around the merchant stalls, looking for anything she thought was worth stealing. She couldn't see anything worth the hassle though and continued on her way to the inner part of the city. She was heading towards a nobles house. He was rich, and the estate well-guarded… except for right now.

Her mark was currently out of town, or really completely out of the province of Cyrodiil. On his way to a wedding…

Most of the mercenaries that would watch the estate were currently on break, and the rest traveled with the target. The last home she had broken into could have gone smoother, and she felt she needed to redeem herself.

She wasn't wearing her normal attire… or rather it was hidden from sight. She wore a dark green cloak that engulfed her frame, hiding all weapons and poisons she carried on her person. Her face was free of the mask, revealing her true face, though no one knew she was the Black Breeze. To everyone who saw her, she was just a traveler passing through the city. No one special and no one worth a second glance…

Just how she liked it.

It was starting to get darker outside, though not by much. She was standing in front of the large stone-walled house, and glanced over it quickly. She noticed a door on the side of the house, and no guards standing watch. This was the way she was getting inside.

There was a lock on the door, but a very simple lock that would not require more than a simple twist and turn of a lockpick. Doing just that, the lock fell from the door and she skipped inside.

It was a beautiful home, and she could feel the excitement bubbling inside of her. She had _really_ hit the jackpot this time.

"Oh my, where should I look first?" Looking around, still wary of making too much noise, she noticed a locked door. Sneaking over to it, she unlocked it as well, though it was a little more challenging than that of the previous lock.

Glancing around inside, much to her chagrin there was nothing of importance. It was only a storage room filled with food. Sighing she shut the door and replaced the lock. Quickly, she moved on.

Creeping upstairs, quiet as a shadow, she walked down a long corridor lit with few candles. Said light sources didn't provide a well-lit environment. At the end of the hallway however, was a large wooden door with delicate patterns running across the wood and frame.

_There must be something important in there. _Kari thought with hope.

The door wasn't locked, which made her a little more wary and cautious. She opened it slowly, and the door made no sound whatsoever. Her feet didn't make a sound either. She couldn't see very far into the room, as there were no candles or torches. She didn't dare turn back to get one.

She stayed near the wall, and kept her hand on it. Letting it guide her way as her eyes adjusted to the darkness as quickly as possible. She could now make out the shapes of things and saw what looked like a chest in the corner of the room, and rapidly made her way over to it. It wasn't locked, and it wasn't booby trapped.

Opening it quietly, she pulled out the only thing in the chest. A golden candlestick encrusted with diamonds, emeralds, and sapphires.

Eyes widened at her discovery, and she made up her mind. This was all she was taking.

It could set her up for at least half a year. She could kick back, travel, and take it easy.

She grinned, and fled through the side door that she had originally come in through. She had found what she needed, and would sell it as soon as possible.

XXXX

It was dark outside. Judging from the position of the moon in the sky, it was a little after midnight.

Kari walked down the empty streets, void of all life and light save for her own person. Following a path she knew by heart, she arrived to the sewer entrance. This was the underground city that all of the black market dealers would hang out at.

Due to her recent find, she had thought about how she could get the best deal out of the treasure. She knew who to turn to.

Taking off her green cloak, she adjusted her face mask and covered her face once again, and finished by bringing the black hood up to cover her completely. She folded the cloak up and set it aside. She didn't want it to smell bad after she was through down there.

Lifting the hatch that allowed entrance underneath the city, she lowered herself down a ladder. It took only a few moments before her feet touched the ground, and the sound of light snoring and laughter drifted throughout the tunnels.

She could smell alcohol and smoke. It filled her nostrils and lungs to the brim, but she wouldn't cough. She held her breath as she walked past the people sleeping in bedrolls.

_Gods all mighty it smells like complete and utter shite down here. _She held her nose in order to keep herself from breathing in.

Jogging the rest of the way, she still followed a familiar path, closing in on her destination. She could see him now. The large but nimble cat-man sat cross-legged, smoking a pipe full of weed and reading a book. He glanced up as he sensed her approaching. He snapped the book shut but continued to smoke the pipe.

"So…" He took a drag. "What brings you here? 'Borrow' something interesting?"

"Yes actually. I think you are going to like this Jar'zhad." Kari held out the candle stick and said Khajiit looked at it with interest.

"This is definitely a good find. What are your reasons for bringing it to me tonight hmm? Is Jar'zhad to buy it off of you, or do you have another reason?"

"Well I was wondering if you knew how much it would get me." Kari asked.

"I could pay you about five thousand septims for it, but that is only because business has been somewhat slow lately, and the income has not been as good." He paused. "I know someone who could get you triple the amount what I would be able to give you though… and Jar'zhad is only telling you this because he has known you for a long time."

"Well thanks for not scamming me I guess… and who was it you had in mind?"

"A woman named Tonilia. She is a fence for the thieves' guild in Skyrim. Jar'zhad thinks it would be worth the time and effort to go and sell it to her. "

Kari was silent for a moment, contemplating the information she had just received. "Where is she located in Skyrim?"

"Riften. Where in Riften, Jar'zhad is not quite sure. That is up to you to find out." The doped up, yet still coherent feline told her.

"Thanks. I guess I am on my way to Skyrim then." Kari nodded her thanks, and walked away. She only just saw him take another hit from the pipe and open the book again to read, smiling when she saw the cover of the book.

That pervy old man was reading "The Lusty Argonian Maid." She grinned and continued to walk out of the sewers.

She grabbed her green cloak, and donned it on her body yet again. She hastened her pace to make it out of the city before the guards changed shifts. This is what they commonly do during this time of night.

She thought about how she was going to get to Riften. It wasn't extremely far in all honesty. She could easily get there by horse, though she had never cared much for the beasts. She thought they seemed untrustworthy, and unpredictable.

Sighing she walked through the gates she had approached and made her way to the stables found right outside of the city.

Picking the horse that looked the least aggressive, and the lightest, she hopped onto its' back and kicked it hard. The black horse took off with a neigh, and they both galloped into the night.

XXXX

"Damn, I'm tired…" Kari mumbled to herself.

It had been about three days since she had left the imperial city. She had crossed the border about an hour ago and was now in Skyrim. She had only gotten a few hours of sleep here and there because of an annoying group of bandits, some cave bears, and vampires who thought it wise to attack her each night while traveling. To say it had been an easy journey would be a lie, but she had been on much more challenging hikes in her life.

She continued on and pulled out her map she had… borrowed from a small farm just on the outskirts of the border. It held the entirety of the province of Skyrim, and she had it marked down where she needed to go.

Riften. A city that was home to the thieves' guild, and corrupt to its very core. She couldn't wait to set eyes on it herself.

Another hour passed and she could see the pathway that would lead up to the hold. Clucking to her horse, it started trotting to get her there faster. Within a few minutes, she was in front of the Riften stables. Not really worrying about the beast anymore, she handed him over to the stable master without much more than a 'take her.'

The man had asked her questions about the horse but walked away from him, and ignoring every question shot at her.

Walking to the wooden gates that would lead her into the city, she was stopped because of a guard.

"Hold there. Before I let you in, you have to pay the visitor's tax." The heavily built man said.

"Visitor's tax? That's ridiculous. Why should I have to pay _you_ to enter the city?" Kari asked, outraged.

The guard shrugged as though indifferent. "You just do. Now give me the money, or walk away."

"Hn… I don't think I will do either. This sounds like a shakedown to me." Kari said, and with each word her voice got louder. Steeling her eyes to show no weakness in them, she glared right at the man.

"A-alright! Keep your voice down… I'll let you inside. J-just… let me unlock the gates." The guard stuttered nervously. As he turned around to unlock the gates, she couldn't help but feel at home here already. She had just gotten here, and already someone was trying to scam her? And a guard no less.

_Maybe I'll stick around here for a while. _She thought with a small smile.

Walking inside once the gates had been opened, and ignoring the guard completely, she saw a city covered in a smelly fog with people of all statures and attitudes walking about a market in the center of town. To get there, she had to walk over a bridge that was suspended above a small canal that wrapped around the entire city which led to the lake outside. The buildings were made of wood, and some connected in one way or another. There was an inn, which she was thankful for, and general stores which would be more than simple to steal from. All the way at the end of the city was the Jarl's palace. The Jarl was the leader of the hold, from what she had heard from the random talking of people in Cyrodiil. She would have to meet the ruler of Riften later.

She stood in front of a stall that contained a few pieces of armor. They were all very generic and wouldn't provide much use. However, Kari could feel the small amount of warmth wafting from underneath the woman's armor stall. This meant there were enchanted pieces of armor. She would have to come back to this place later. Before she could walk away, the woman behind the stall felt the need to be rude to her.

"Hey! You gonna buy something or not?" The woman was of average height and weight, and had shoulder length brown hair. There was really nothing special about her.

"No actually. Your stall has nothing of use for me." Kari replied nonchalantly.

"Well then get out of here if you don't plan on spending any gold!" The brown eyed woman exclaimed angrily.

"Hn." Was all Kari said back.

She turned around to walk away from the stall, but almost ran face first into a tall red headed nord that had walked over to her from a small merchant stand. He had a strong jaw, and green eyes. Greener than any she had seen before.

He was staring down his nose at her, "Ain't worked a day in your life for all that coin you're carrying… eh lass?"

"Um… what are you talking about?" Kari asked suspiciously.

"I'm saying you've got the coin, but you didn't earn a septim of it honestly… I can tell." His green eyes danced with amusement at her cautiousness.

"My wealth is none of your concern." She replied adamantly.

"Oh well that's where you're wrong lass." He said. "It's my job to be concerned with everyone's wealth, since it's a part of my profession to know who to take from."

_Oh… he's in the thieves' guild… Well I guess that makes sense. _Kira thought.

He didn't wait for her to say anything. "I've got a bit of an errand to perform. Maybe you'd like a taste?"

She paused. "…What do you have in mind?" She was starting to get curious.

"There's a trader right here in Riften that a client has paid us to take down. His name is Brand-Shei. Since we don't take out targets as violently as the Dark Brotherhood, we'll need to do this quietly."

"Sounds good… but what exactly do I need to do?" Kari asked.

"I need you to break into Modesi's strongbox under his stand, and take his gold ring. Once you have it, I want you to plant it on Brand-Shei. I'll provide the distraction." He paused for a second. "Modesi is the Argonian, and Brand-Shei is the dark elf. That should be everything you need to know." He turned and started walking to his stand.

Kari pretended the conversation had never happened. She walked over to the only Argonian in the market and looked at the jewelry he had on display. After a few minutes of gazing at the beautiful body ornaments, she could hear the voice of the red-headed nord.

"Listen, everyone! Gather around! I have something amazing to show you!"

The people in the market started to make their way over to his stand, including Modesi. As soon as the man was nowhere near her she darted behind the stand as she made sure no one was looking at her. She opened the sliding door of the stand, and used her lock picks to quickly unlock the strongbox. Once it was opened, she reached inside and pulled out an emerald, which she pocketed, and a coin purse, which she also pocketed. She finally picked up the ring, shut the strongbox, and closed the stall door.

Walking away from Modesi's stand, she made her way over to the dark elf's stall. The male thief was still talking about the 'amazing product, called Falmer Blood Elixir,' and was still providing a good distraction. Though the people of Riften didn't seem all that impressed…

"That's enough Brynjolf! We've heard it all before!" Her mark yelled out.

_So his name is Brynjolf hmm? Suits him. _She smiled.

Brynjolf responded in a most civil manner, and continued on trying to sell his supposedly amazing potion when it was probably nothing more than water with honey.

Kari looked at the stall the dark elf inhabited during the day, and was happy to see the perfect cover. There were stacks of boxes that would allow cover for her while she dropped the ring off in the elf's pocket.

She crouched down and snuck her way behind the boxes. She pulled the ring out of one of her many pockets and slowly dropped the ring into Brand-Shei's back pocket, in his tan trousers.

Pulling back she got up and walked away. Then she pretended to be one of the many people interested in buying Brynjolf's wares. Once she knew his eyes were on her, she nodded once to let him know the job was completed.

"Alright everyone, that's it for the day! Thank you for your time, and your gold!" He finished selling another of the bottles to a traveler who obviously didn't know of the scam Brynjolf was pulling on her.

After all of the observers had scattered, she approached the red-head and said, "Jobs done."

"Good job lass. You finished the job with no strings attached. Here you are." He said as he handed Kari a pouch full of gold. "It's a surprise our plan went off without a hitch. Our guild has been going through a patch of bad luck lately."

"What's been going on? Oh, and thanks for the gold." Kari said to him.

"Aye, we take care of our own. You do the job right, you get paid for it." He hesitated for a moment before continuing. "I will let you know all about what has been going on if you can find your way into the Ragged Flagon. That's the home of the thieves' guild. Find your way there, and I'll know for sure that you're worth the guild's time, and mine."

"Hmm…so you don't think I'm worth your time eh? Well, I guess I will just have to prove you wrong!" Kari said adamantly. "But uh… where is the Ragged Flagon?"

Brynjolf rolled his eyes. "Follow the smell lass. You can't miss it."

With that, the conversation ended as Brynjolf walked away and into the inn a little ways away.

_Follow the smell? _Kari thought. _Hmm… he is trying to make it hard isn't he?_

So taking his advice, Kari took a big whiff of the air, finally realizing how bad it smelled here… most likely because of the sewers running underneath the city.

"Ohhhh…The sewers… Well I know where to go now." With that thought, she made her way to the entrance of the sewers… if she could find it.

XXXX

That's it! Hope you enjoyed this chapter. R&R please!


	3. Chapter 2

Next chapter. Enjoy!

XXXX

Find it she did. It wasn't as hard as one might think to find the entrance to the sewers. It was rather un-inconspicuous. While it was on the docks in the lower part of the city, the entrance was guarded by a gate and surrounded by torches to light up the entry point.

So, following her nose like Brynjolf had told her to, she walked inside the door leading to the undergrounds. Kari was expecting trouble since the red-headed nord had said that if she couldn't get through this, she wouldn't be worth the guild's time. She would make it through. Especially if there was money involved.

It was dark inside. It was a long, stone, smelly, damp hallway that had maybe… _one_ torch lighting the path. She drew her first weapon, which was a handcrafted Daedric bow with tiny little designs etched on the surface of the bow. She then pulled an arrow out of her quiver and nocked it.

Kari had heard voices up ahead. She walked slower now, and she could see the back of a large, brutish man talking to a smaller, lean man. She slightly heard them talking, and she caught bits and pieces. They were talking about betraying the thieves' guild. So, without wasting any more time, she pulled the arrow back and released. By the time the arrow hit the head of the big guy, she already had another arrow locked and loaded.

The small man looked towards her, frightened. He turned and was about to run off when the arrow flew through the air and hit its mark in his throat with a '_thunk_._'_

"Huh… that was easier than I thought." Kari muttered. She kept her bow out in case she ran into any more of the thugs and lowlifes. Jogging past the two dead bodies, she continued onwards through a short hallway and made her way to a good sized drop. She looked down to make sure there weren't any more thugs, and thankfully there weren't.

Running silently through the many corridors, twists, and turns, and after killing a few more lowlifes with no problem, she had found her way to a door with a small symbol by it.

_A shadowmark eh? _She recognized this one as meaning the guild was ahead. Smirking to herself, she opened the door and saw a large… wet room. Like… there was a large round pool of water that had been filled up due to the water dripping down from the ceiling.

So…that was why it smelled. There was literal sewer water dripping into this place. Lovely.

She walked slowly into the room because she heard voices speaking about the guild.

"Give it up Brynjolf. You, Vex, Mercer… you are all part of a dying breed." The man who spoke voice' held concern and frustration as he stated his opinion.

"No… I'm telling you… this one is different." Brynjolf said back.

"I highly doubt that. When was the last time you found someone who showed even the slightest bit of promise in our field of work?" The same man bit back.

Kari figured it was time to reveal her presence to the group of thieves hanging around.

As she walked forward, Brynjolf stated, "Well what do you make of _that_ then?" He glared at the man who had been talking with him. Said man went behind the bar located at the main part of the room. He stared, but didn't say a word.

"Well well… color me impressed lass. I didn't think I would see you again." Kari could tell he was joking.

"Getting here was easy." She wasn't joking though. She was telling the truth. It _was _easy.

"Reliable, and headstrong? You're turning out to be quite the prize," He smirked. "Though I am afraid that I have one more assignment I need you to complete."

She only tilted her head in question as an answer.

"There are three marks the guild needs you to hit up. They owe our guild some serious coin and their debts are due. Your targets are Keerava, Haelga, and Bersi Honey-Hand. Go to them, and get the money. Word of warning though… no killing. We aren't the Dark Brotherhood." Brynjolf stated.

"No problem. Shouldn't be hard to not kill someone… though it can be fun sometimes." She answered with a smirk.

"Whatever lass. Just do it on your own time, and don't do it in the name of the guild. Best be off to your marks now. If you want any information on them, just let me know. If not, then go get your job done."

"I could use some help. Anything you can tell me about my targets?" She asked.

"Yeah there is. You see…" He told her about how Bersi's most prized possession was an ugly dwarven urn. He told her about how Haelga was a devoted Dibella follower, and how she absolutely treasured a small golden statue of said goddess. She was supposed to threaten to do something _awful _to it. Lastly, Brynjolf told Kari about Keerava and how she has a "fiancé" of sorts who also works at the Bee and Barb. If she were to maybe get some information from him, she should be able to use something to get the money.

That was all the information she needed to get the job done.

XXXX

I'm so sorry it took so long for this chapter, and that it didn't even break a thousand words. D:

Hope you liked the little bit I gave you though! R&R please!


End file.
